Feeding device for cigar-bunching machines



(No Model.) Sheds-Sheet '1.

- S. A. SHEPARD.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR GIGAR B-UNOHING MACHINES.

No. 352,491. .Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

Witness 66.

N. PEYERS. Phnto-Lilhognphcr. Washlnglon. D. C.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

S. A. SHEPARD.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR CIGAR BUNGHING MACHINES.

Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

gnu;

20 [wen/tor.

N. PEYEHS, PhnlwLilhogr-apher. Washington DJ.

Nrr STATES PATENT rErcE.

STEPHEN A. SHEPARD, OF VEST BELLEVUE, ASSIGNOR TO LANG 85 SHEPARD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEEDING DEVlCE FOR ClGAR-BUNCHING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,491, dated November 9, 1886.

Application filed April 16, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN A. SHEPARD, of \Vest Bellevue, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a 5 new and useful Improvement in Feeding De vices for Oigar-Bunching Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being. had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved feeding device. Fig.2is a vertical longitudinal section thereof on the line xxof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing theparts in the position which they occupy when the tobacco is about to be discharged onto the belt of the machine. Fig. 4 is a View of a modification, being a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2 z of Fig. 4.

' Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each figure.

The object of my invention is to improve the operation of cigar-bunching machines by providing a feed-hopper of such construction that a certain quantity of tobacco shall be discharged upon the apron of the machine and the manufactured cigars thereby made of uniform size.

O 3 chine,in which the scraptobacco used for the cigar-filleris placed. Atthe base of thehopper is a sliding bottom, 3, consisting of a flat plate or board mounted on a bed, 4, beneath the hopper, and guided by lateral guideways', so that it may be movable lengthwise underneath and in contact with the base of the hopper.

The bottom 3 is provided with a transverse pocket, 6, for the reception and discharge of the filler, which pocket is constituted as follows: There is a plate, 5, which projects from the upper side of the front end of the sliding bottom 3, and whichfits against the bottom of the hopper. The plate 5 is transversely slotted, as at a, the rear of the slot being coincident with the front end of the bottom 3. A cross bar or piece, 7, is attached to the plate 5 between the latter and the bed 4, and somewhat separated from the front of the sliding bottom 50 3, the space between the cross-piece 7 and the In the drawings, 2 is the hopper-of the ma- Serial No. 199,103. (No model.)

bottom 3 constituting the pocket 6, before mentioned.

In,order to make the size of the pocket 6 adjustable, the cross-bar 7 is secured by setscrews 8 to lugs 9, on the under side of the plate 5, whereby the crossbar may be adj ustably moved toward or from the bottom 3.

At the base of the hopper and at the forward side is an inwardly-projecting plate, 10, which rests upon the surface of the plate 5 and has its rear edge within the hopper sharpened to form a knife-blade, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This bladepreferably extends across the hopper at an acute angle to its sides, as shown in the plan view, Fig. 1. The edge ofthe plate 5, at the rear of the slot 01, is also sharpened, as at b.

11 is the usual agitatingshaft, journaled transversely within the hopper 2 and having radially-projecting agitating arms or spurs 12, which stir the tobacco-filler.

The sliding bottom 3 is operated by means of a hand-lever, 14, fulcrumed to the frame of the machineand connected with the bottom by a link, 15. By movement of this lever the bottom 3 is caused to reciprocate beneath the hopper, as shown in Fig. 1, by the dotted lines andfull lines. 16 is an upright arm fastened rigidly to the sliding bottom 3 and connected by a link or pitman, 17, with a rising crankarm, 18, of the agitating-shaft 11. This connection, as shown in the drawings, is such that as the sliding bottom 3 reciprocates it will rotate the shaft 11 and its spurs 12 in a direction opposite to the direction of motion of the bottom.

19 is a chute upon which the tobacco is discharged from the pocket, and which directs it upon the forming-belt of the machine. I have not shown this belt, since its construc- 0 tion and location is well understood by those skilled in the art.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Suppose the several parts to be as shown in Fig. 2 and the hopper 2 to be charged with scrap-tobacco. The pocket 6, then being directly under the hopper, the tobacco will sink into the pocket, and if the lever 14 be moved back the consequent advance of the sliding bottom 3 and the opposite rotation of the agi- 10o therein.

tating-arms 12 will force the tobacco down into the pocket 6 and will tightly pack it When the pocket 6 reaches the knifeblade 10, the latter will smooth the surfacetobacco in the pocket, and, in conjunction with the sharpened edge b of the plate 5, at the rear of the slot to, will cut off the projecting surplus tobacco, so as to leave an exactly-measured quantity in the pocket 6. When the bottom 3 advances far enough to carry the pocket past the hopper and the bed-plate 4, the contained tobacco-filler will be discharged into the chute'19 and thence upon the forming-belt. (See Fig. 3.) In the next backward movement of the bed 3 the oppositelymoving arms 12 will act to fill the pocket 6 in readiness for the return-stroke. Thus by means of the sliding pocket, the oppositelymoving agitating arms, and the knife-blades 10 and b, I am enabled to produce cigars of uniform size and compactness. Unless this part of the machine be properly constructed to feed constant amounts of filler, the bunches after molding are apt to be very imperfect, those having an excess of tobacco being too tight and hard to draw, while those having too little tobacco are loose, burn rapidly, and are apt to fall to pieces.

By means of the adjustable cross-bar 7 the size of the pocket 6 may be accurately adjusted relatively to the size of the bunch desired and to the gage of the mold used in subsequently shaping the bunch.

The modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 differs from that just described only in that the sliding bottom 3 is moved by handles 20, atfixed directly to it, instead of the handlever 14.

It will be noticed that in the reciprocations of the sliding bottom 3 the pocket 6 is moved from one end of the hopper to the other through a space of, say, two to five inches, and in its passage, being exposed to the tobacco contents of the hopper, is in the most favorable condition for receiving a compact charge of tobacco.

I am aware that in Patent No. 330,291 there is shown a brick-molding machine which has a sliding bottom and open pocket arranged to reciprocate beneath the hopper and to carry a charge of clay received in the pocket from the hopper to and over a mold-cavity, into which the clay is forced from the pocket by means of a vertically-reciprocating plunger. The base of the mold is constituted by the top of a vertically-acting table or plunger, which, when the sliding pocket is withdrawn, rises and lifts the molded brick from the matrix. I do not claim this. My invention differs therefrom, principally, in that I use no plunger or equivalent device for discharging the tobacco from the pocket, but cause it to drop therefrom solely by its own gravity onto the forming-belt of the machine.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the hopper of a cigar-machine, of a sliding bottom having an open pocket extending therethrough and arranged to reciprocate beneath the hopper, and a knife affixed to the sliding bottom at the rear of the pocket, substantially as and for the purposes described. 2. The combination, with the hopper of a cigar-machine, of a sliding bottom having an open pocket extending therethrough and ar ranged to reciprocate beneath the hopper, and a knife situate at the base of the hopper over the surface of the sliding bottom and set at an angle to the median line of the pocket, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with the hopper of a cigar-machine, of a sliding bottom arranged beneath the hopper and having an open pocket, and a bar forming the wall of the pocket, said bar being movable and adjustable to increase or diminish the size of the pocket, substantially as and for the purposes described.

'4. The combination, with the hopper of a cigar-machine, of a sliding bottom arranged beneath the hopper and having an open pocket, a horizontally-rotary shaft provided with agitating-arms situate within the hopper directly over the sliding bottom and adjacent thereto, and levers connecting the agitating-shaft with thesliding bottom and arranged to rotate the shaft, so that the agitating-arms, when below the axis of the shaft and next to the sliding bottom, shall move in a direction opposite to the direction of motion of the sliding bottom, whereby the tobacco-filler is forced into the pocket, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March, A. D. 1886.

STEPHEN A. SHEPARD.

Witnesses:

W. B. CORWIN, THOMAS W. BAKEWELL. 

